Peter Sadlo studied at the Konservatorium in Nuremberg and at the Musikhochschule in Wurzburg with Siegfried Fink. He has won numerous first prizes throughout his career including the first-ever percussion awards at both the Concours International Genève (1982) and at the Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD in Munich (1985).
At age 20, Peter Sadlo became solo timpanist at the Munich Philharmonic, a position he held for 15 years and during which time his style was greatly influenced by his collaboration with Sergiu Celibidache. Starting in 1998 he began to concentrate exclusively on his career as a soloist and ensemble leader. Additionally, Peter Sadlo is Professor of Percussion at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich and at the University ‘Mozarteum’ in Salzburg. He holds a Doctorate in Musicology from the University of Bucharest and an Honorary Doctorate from the Staatliche Musikakademie in Sofia.

Peter Sadlo has played, and continues to perform, with the following orchestras: Rundfunk- Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Sinfonieorchester des BR, Münchner Philharmoniker, SWR Radio- Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, Staatskapelle Weimar, Orchestra Accademia di Santa Cecilia Rome, Orchestra Nazionale Sinfonica della RAI Turin, Nagoya Philharmonic und Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony and has given recitals at music festivals in Bad Kissingen, Basel, Bremen, Braunschweig, Echternach, Ingolstadt, Lockenhaus, at the MDR Musiksommer and in Pollenca, Salzburg and Schwetzingen. In addition to his solo performances, he gives concerts with his Ensemble Peter Sadlo & Friends and with chamber music partners including Martha Argerich, Anna Gourari, Gabor Boldoczki, HK Gruber or Gidon Kremer.

Composers such as Luciano Berio, Minas Borboudakis, Harald Genzmer, Sofia Gubaidulina, Hans Werner Henze, Luigi Nono and Carlos Veerhof have collaborated with Peter Sadlo or have written pieces for him.

He was awarded the "Echo Klassik Preis 1998" as Musician of the Year for his CD "Percussion in Concert." His work has been produced by Cavalli Records, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Teldec , Thorofon and Universal. In April 2005, Peter Sadlo was awarded the Soloist European Cultural Award at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. This internationally renowned award, presented by the Europäische Kulturstiftung, recognizes talented individuals who are committed to enriching European culture.

Most recently, Peter Sadlo received the “Bavarian Culture Prize 2006“ from E.ON Bayern AG for his outstanding artistic work. Currently, new fields of application are continuously unfolding for him as Gidon Kremer's successor and, since 2007, Artistic Director of the acclaimed Basler Festival „les muséiques“.

Since 2007 he has been the artistic advisor to the International Music Assemblage "House Marteau" in Lichtenberg / Upper Franconia, where he is responsible for the organization of master classes for singing, solo instruments and chamber music which are taught by renowned artists as lecturers.